Review: Greywalls Hotel & Chez Roux, Gullane, East Lothian – Scotland on Sunday Travel
It’s always nice to get away from the city for a weekend in the country or by the sea, which is what Greywalls offers those in nearby Edinburgh or from further flung destinations. Located in Gullane, it’s as close to Muirfield Golf Course as you can get, and, from some rooms, has lovely views across the Forth. Greywalls was designed in 1901 by Sir Edwin Lutyens, and has a wrap-around formal walled garden, something that guests are encouraged to explore. It was built as a holiday home for its original owner, the Hon Alfred Lyttelton. Lyttleton, another keen golfer, who insisted that the house be built ‘within a mashie niblick shot of the eighteenth green at Muirfield’. The hotel has warm honey-coloured stone from the local Rattlebags Quarry, and is built in a crescent shape, meaning it looks like something out of a E M Forster novel. In 1924 Lt Col Sir James Horlick, bought the house and the Weaver family used it as their summer holiday home until the beginning of the Second World War. Greywalls is now a small luxury hotel, with a Roux restaurant.
Budget or boutique
Rooms come in around £230 per night, so this is a boutique location with a price tag you might expect from such a grand venue.
Room service
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Hide AdEach of the 23 rooms are individually decorated in a classic style sympathetic to the period of the stately home. Much like the whole house, which is full of books, artwork and family photos, each room gives off the feeling of a home rather than a hotel and the decor is a comforting mix of patterned or floral fabric, heavy curtains, fringing and an array of cushions. It’s country living, Colefax and Fowler style.
Our double room had a huge bed, chaise lounge and the type of large, walnut wooden wardrobe you could only dream about finding at an antiques market. Accessories were rust and beige, with tartan cushions and floral curtains. A small cast iron range could be found in the fireplace, and there’s a range of artwork. The bathroom was a more modern affair, with a power shower, tub and LED mirror.
Wining and dining
Greywalls is home to a Roux restaurant, the first in Scotland, so you can expect classically cooked dishes with lots of seasonal and local ingredients. Try the winter roast, which has changeable meat options over weekend days or, if you fancy a treat, afternoon tea. Pre-dinner drinks can be enjoyed by the fire in the library or drawing room or there’s a snug bar. The Roux champagne is delicious, and they also do a mean negroni. Breakfast is also a classic affair, with a small buffet, and cooked options such as smoked salmon and scrambled eggs and kippers.
Worth getting out of bed for
This is the spot of you’re a golfer, with Muirfield literally on the doorstep and Gullane golf course just five minutes down the road. The beach at Gullane is great for walks, without a dog (Greywalls is dog-friendly, though only in the rooms, not in the public spaces). North Berwick is about a 20-minute drive away and has many shops and restaurants as well as a spa within the Marine Hotel. Dirleton village is also about 20 minutes away and worth a visit thanks to its castle ruins and dovecot. Gullane is also about a half an hour drive from Edinburgh, for anyone wanting to visit the capital but also enjoy the peace and quiet of the seaside.
Little extras
Rooms have Penhaligon’s toiletries, robes and slippers and a range of coffee table books. If you’re bringing your dog, they will also provide a bowl and blanket.
Guestbook comments
Set in the stunning East Lothian countryside, this Edwardian country house is classically designed, in keeping with its tranquil surroundings. True to the period architecture, the walled gardens around the hotel bring together the elegance of the interior with the charm of the rolling green backdrop.
Greywalls, Muirfield, Gullane EH31 2EG, (01620 842144, greywalls.co.uk).